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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · pound · press · club · patient · bay

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. press — to push
  18. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com